How to use the Curiosity Gap to improve your message
Harnessing cognitive discomfort to rewrite a video script
Do you know what a curiosity gap is?
It’s a concept that was popularized in the classic business book, Made to Stick by the Heath brothers, and it’s a brilliant concept I’ve been deploying with higher frequency as I try to get my content to resonate.
The idea is this: curiosity arises when there is a gap in our knowledge. This gap creates a sense of discomfort, or an “itch” that we feel compelled to scratch by seeking out the missing information. That’s because when we become aware of the gap, it creates a sense of cognitive discomfort that drives us to find the missing information to restore cognitive equilibrium.
You’ve likely seen this in action when consuming engaging content online. It’s the hook in the first line of your favourite LinkedIn writer. Or the opening frame of your favourite TikTok creator who manages to hook you in from the opening frame.
But in my experience, you rarely see it in public affairs content. Most public affairs campaigns I’ve come across (including my own!) have a bad habit of leading with the problem or the facts. I’ve spent the last year experimenting with different ways to engage people, and I’ve become bullish on gamified experiences because of their ability to use the curiosity gap to hook audiences in, and get them to consider an idea. The benefits are significant:
When people are aware of a gap in knowledge, they become more engaged and curious about the outcome. This engagement leads to better retention of information because the process of seeking out answers makes the information more memorable.
We’re going to work with the curiosity gap in this week’s guide by way of a video script. At the end of the guide, I provide a link to an example of me using these prompts to work on a a hypothetical explainer video about the role of plastics in the medical field.
While I’ve structured this guide sequentially, it also works well as an à la carte menu. You could work with any combination of these prompts, depending on how advanced your are with your script.
And a final note before we start: I’d use these prompts for inspiration and ideation. In my experience, ChatGPT rarely writes exceptional scripts out of the gate. You’ll see in some of the screenshots I’ve provided below that it does a great job of findings hooks and helping me work through how to present my information using the curiosity gap, but its scripting sometimes reads like something a first-year political science student would write. You’ll need to polish.
Let’s get on with the show!
Identifying Key Information and Objectives
Core Message Identification
You may have some facts, or a basic summary of what you want your video to cover. To help you organize your thoughts, you can work with ChatGPT to see how clear your message is to begin with:
Can you help me identify the primary message or objective of my video based on the following summary: [provide summary]?What are the key facts or insights that I should emphasize to ensure the audience remembers them after watching the video?Target Audience Analysis
As you consider your audience, you can work with ChatGPT to think through the knowledge gaps your viewers will have and how you may need to address them:
Given that my target audience is [describe target audience], what current knowledge levels and interests might they have regarding the topic of [topic]?Creating the Curiosity Gap
Opening Hook Development
The previous prompts do a solid job of priming ChatGPT to help with work out some opening hooks. I had to fine-tune this next prompt, as I was originally getting academic and jargon-filled hooks:
Can you suggest 5 provocative questions that align with the core message of my video about [topic]? Please keep these simple, clear, and interesting. No jargon. The questions should be simple enough for a 12-year old to understand.What surprising statistics or facts can I present at the beginning of my video to immediately capture the audience's attention?Be careful with that last prompt. We know that AI is capable of fabricating facts. Only use it as inspiration, and then go get real facts, or triple check the ones you have been provided.
Puzzle Introduction
These next two prompts are a different way of asking for an interesting hook, but with specificity on the type of hook you want. You may not want or need to lead with a mystery or an anecdote, but working through this process can still be helpful as your work your script":
How can I introduce a puzzle or mystery related to [topic] that will make the audience eager to learn more?Can you help me craft a brief anecdote or story that leaves the audience with an unresolved question?Structuring the Script for Engagement
Using the curiosity gap requires that you deploy some patience. It’s tempting to lead with the case and drive to a call-to-action as soon as possible, especially when producing short-form video. But we can—and should—learn from the best storytellers about the value of teasing and foreshadowing. These prompts will get you thinking through some options:
Tease and Reveal Strategy
How can I structure my script to provide small pieces of information at a time, maintaining audience curiosity throughout the video?At which points in my script should I intentionally leave out information to encourage viewers to keep watching for the full story?Building Suspense
What elements of suspense can I incorporate into my script to keep the audience engaged?Can you suggest moments in the script where I can foreshadow outcomes without giving them away immediately?Enhancing Emotional Appeal
Emotional Triggers
What emotional triggers can I use to deepen the audience’s connection to the topic of [topic]?How can I incorporate personal stories or testimonials to create an emotional investment in my message?Visual and Audio Elements
We have so far been focused on scripting, but a good video needs good visuals:
What visuals and sound effects can I use to enhance the sense of curiosity and suspense in my video?Can you help me brainstorm visual clues that hint at the solution or answer without revealing it outright?Closing with a Strong Call to Action
Resolution and Call to Action
How should I resolve the curiosity gap by the end of my video to provide a satisfying conclusion?What clear and compelling call to action can I include that aligns with the video's objective?"Encouraging Further Engagement
How can I prompt the audience to continue engaging with my content or take the desired action after the video ends?Can you suggest additional resources or questions that will keep the audience thinking and curious?Practical Application
Review and Revise
Can you review the following sections of my script and suggest improvements to better leverage the curiosity gap: [provide sections]?Are there any parts of my script that feel too predictable or reveal too much information too quickly? How can I adjust them?You can see these prompts in action as I worked with ChatGPT on a hypothetical video about the life-changing role of plastics in medicine.